Skylights are often used in order to permit natural sunlight to enter into an interior space of a residential home, building, church and the like. Due to the relative spatial location of skylights and other roof openings, they create an occupational hazard. Fatalities serious injuries related to falls through skylights and/or protective screening for skylights. For instance, impact falls have occurred from workers falling through unguarded skylight openings. Such falls have also occurred when conducting routine roof and/or skylight maintenance and replacing and/or providing protective screening for skylights.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standard 29 CFR §1926.500(b)(4) requires that skylights be protected with railings and covers to protect against falls through a skylight/vent and/or a skylight/vent opening. In accordance with OSHA standard 29 CFR §1926.500(b)(4), if there is a danger of falling through a skylight, the skylight must be guarded with a standing railing or a cover strong enough to sustain the impact load of a person. In an attempt to meet the need to become OSHA compliant, various designs such as protective screens and railings have been employed. These devices, however, have proven inadequate or otherwise disadvantageous due to manufacturing costs and/or the lack of a robust structural design, and/or, the complexity of assembly/disassembly, and/or the lack of portability, and/or the lack of adequate space to permit maintenance be done to replace or install a skylight.